Sports

Al Merreikh Falls In Champions League First Round

Published

12 years ago

February 17, 2014

Kano Pillars striker under presure in a domestic encounter

Sudanese champions Al
Merreikh suffered a shock exit from the African Champions League as the seasonal campaigners crashed out in the preliminary round.
They were beaten by Kampala City Council who survived a 2-1 home defeat in the Ugandan capital to qualify 3-2 on aggregate.
“We should have won the game and qualified, but my strikers failed to convert several chances,” said Al Merreikh coach Michael Kruger.
Kampala striker Tony Odur, who scored in the first leg in Omdurman last weekend, gave the hosts a seventh-minute lead with a well-taken goal.
The visitors settled quickly and dictated the pace for long spells before equalising five minutes before half-time as defender William Wadiri’s blunder let Ahmed Elbasha in.
Fifteen minutes from time, Merreikh gave themselves a lifeline they failed to build on when Mohamed Traore followed home after Omar Salim Magoola had saved a penalty.
Since finishing bottom in the group stages in 2009, Al Merreikh have been disappointing in the African Champions League – with this weekend’s failure following on from the first round defeat to Angola’s Recreativo do Libolo last year.
Kampala City Council, meanwhile, will face Nkana Red Devils in the first round after the Zambians defeated Swaziland’s Mbabane Swallows 5-2 as coach Masauso Mwale masterminded a dramatic 5-4 aggregate victory.
The success came despite Swallows’ Zambia-born coach Christopher Tembo having confidently predicted that his side would “not surrender a two-goal advantage.”
Apart from losing a final to Algerians JS Kabylie after a penalty shootout, Nkana – back in the Champions League after a 12-year absence, has reached the semi-finals five times and the quarter, finals three times in 12 previous appearances.
Both Angola’s Kabuscorp and Tanzania’s Young Africans qualified with ease, beating Cote d’Or of the Seychelles 7-2 and Komorozine of the Comores 12-2 on aggregate respectively.
Champions League debutants Barrack Young Controllers of Liberia have realistic chances of making the Last 32 on Sunday, having restricted two-time champions Asante Kotoko to a 2-1 win in Ghana.
Kwabena Edusei converted two penalties but Isaac Pupo netted a free-kick to give Barrack a potentially crucial away goal against opponents who last conquered the continent 31 years ago.

Sports

Rivers-born Chess Player Clinches Third Position At World Amateur Rapid Chess Championship

Published

4 days ago

August 10, 2026

The Tide

A veteran Rivers State chess player, Apollos Akomaka, has finished in joint 3rd place at the just-concluded World Amateur Rapid Chess Championship held in Abuja.

Akomaka, who is the director of physiotherapy at the Rivers State University Teaching Hospital, Port Harcourt, overcame a shaky start to secure a podium finish in the 11-round rapid event that began on August 2.

The tournament featured top chess players from several countries.

After losing his opening game, the defining moment for Akomaka came between Rounds 7 and 11.

He raised his game and began defeating some of the top-ranked players in the event.

The Rivers-born player ended the championship tied for 3rd place in the U2000 category with 6.5 points out of 11, alongside Cameroon’s national champion, Noumbo Vidal.

His final game was against Vidal, with the Nigerian playing the black pieces.

Vidal opened with a queen’s gambit but quickly transposed into an English opening with a double fianchetto attack.

Akomaka responded sharply with a king’s Indian defense and soon launched a kingside attack from a defensive position.

The pressure paid off, resulting in an immediate material gain, a knight for a rook, and leaving Akomaka with a strong attacking advantage.

Vidal fought hard to avoid mate and managed to steer the game into an endgame, where he found some respect. At that point, the Cameroon champion offered a draw, which Akomaka accepted.

Speaking after the event, Akomaka said that he is resilient and determined after the poor start but happy that he finished on the podium.

He expressed optimism that in subsequent competitions he will make Rivers State proud and Nigeria at large.

Akomaka has won both local and national chess championships in recent times.

He is passionate about chess; besides, he has equally sponsored several national chess tournaments in Nigeria.

The World Amateur Rapid Chess Championship concluded with Akomaka of Rivers State,

Nigeria, battling back from an early loss to end among the top three in his category

Tonye Orabere/Kiadum Edookor

Sports

Team Nigeria Secures Women’s 4x100m, 4x400m Finals at World U20 Championships

Published

4 days ago

August 10, 2026

The Tide

Team Nigeria continued its impressive showing at the World Athletics U20 Championships in Eugene, securing places in both the women’s 4x100m and 4x400m relay finals after strong performances in the heats.

The Nigerian quartet of Becky Ebiyadi, Jecinta Lawrence, Tejiri Praise Ugoh and Faith Ezechukwu booked their place in the women’s 4x400m final after clocking a season’s best of 3:35.28.

Nigeria finished third in the heat behind Italy and Great Britain, doing enough to advance to the final and remain firmly in contention for a medal.

In the women’s 4x100m, Ugoh joined Lucy Nwankwo, Chigozie Nwankwo and Oluebube Ezechukwu as Nigeria produced another season’s best, clocking 43.65 seconds to secure an automatic ticket to the women’s 4x100m final.

The qualification was sealed by a sensational anchor leg from Ezechukwu. Receiving the baton nearly 20 metres behind the United States, the Nigerian launched a determined charge down the home straight, rapidly closing the gap before edging the Americans at the line to claim the third automatic qualifying position.

Nigeria stopped the clock at 43.65 seconds, just 0.02 seconds ahead of the United States, who finished in 43.67 seconds.

The performances mean Nigeria will now contest both women’s relay finals, further strengthening the country’s medal prospects at the championships.

In Saturday’s evening phase of the event, Success Uyibo will compete in the 200m women’s final while the 4x100m compete in the women’s final.

Sports

Poor welfare forced me to dump Delta for Enugu, says world – Nwachukwu

Published

4 days ago

August 10, 2026

The Tide

World Record holder and Commonwealth Games champion, Goodness Nwachukwu, has revealed why she dumped Delta State for Enugu State.

The sudden departure of Nwachukwu, a multiple gold medallist, from Team Delta to the Coal City, Enugu , sparked controversy within the sports family, with officials of Delta State Sports Commission accusing the president of the Paralympic Committee of Nigeria, Sunday Odebode, of manipulating the system for the athlete to dump the state.

But Nwachukwu, who broke the World Record to win a gold medal for Team Nigeria in the Women’s Discus F42 event at the just-concluded Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, has cleared the air on the circumstances that led to her movement to Enugu State.

Speaking with The Tidesports source report, shortly after winning the gold medal, Nwachukwu said: “It is not true that anybody aided my movement from Delta State to Enugu. Rather, it was Delta State that forced me to leave because of poor remuneration.